Pat wrote:

Dear Ruth, the other aspect is how are formula feeding mothers different
without the multiple daily doses of oxytocin that a breastfeeding mom gets?
Does it significantly impact how a woman mothers.  I think probably yes
:-(  Pat in SNJ


-- Indeed, I think the lack of regular doses of oxytocin, as well as the
effect of the lack of prolactin (which via other mechanisms also promotes
sensations of well-being), are major factors in the prevalence of shaken
baby syndrome and postpartum depression.  But it would be very hard to tease
out the effect of artificially low hormone levels from the myriad realities
of motherhood in the U.S., including poor social network and drugs of
various kinds which interfere with nurturing behavior.  (After all, research
shows prolactin rises even in virgin and male mammals in response to the
presence of young -- but the experimental animals haven't just downed a
six-pack.  Such a vicious phenomenon that the very substances used to
self-medicate receptors starved for nurturing/bonding hormones interfere
with the vestigial endogenous hormone levels that remain.)

Much more prevalent, I also think, than the tragic cases are the sad ones,
where "how a woman mothers" is affected in subtle ways that make it clear to
her children that motherhood is not fun for her.  Conversely, of course, I
let moms whose first breastfeeding experience was not successful know that
child #1 will benefit from the hormones due to nursing child #2.  Not only
will mom have a hand free when feeding the baby, but mom will have some
serenity hormones flowing to make managing multiple kids easier to enjoy.

Ruth Piatak, LLLL
Plano, TX

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